ABOUT HUGO WEST
Hugo West Theatricals is the lunatic hobbyhorse of Cincinnati-based writing and producing team Mike Hall and Joshua Steele. Called “smart playwright[s] who know how to surprise an audience in unexpected ways,” their often sold-out productions have been dubbed “smart and funny, amiable and high energy” (River City News), “riotously funny but infectiously endearing” (Cincinnati Citybeat) and “unexpectedly entertaining and thoughtful” (National Review).
Founded in 2012, HWT has produced award-winning stagings of original, adapted and existing works, with a special interest in remarkable Cincinnati history topics. Their production history includes DON'T CROSS THE STREAMS: THE CEASE AND DESIST MUSICAL; A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL; HOT DAMN! IT'S THE LOVELAND FROG!; ZOMBIE-LOGUE; CESSNA; THE LETTERS OF VINCENT VAN GOGH: A LIVE PERFORMANCE; SUMATRAN RHINO; THE GOSPEL OF BARABBAS, HARAMBE and UTOPIA, OHIO. Their works have appeared at The Cincinnati and Indianapolis Fringe Festivals, The Art Academy of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Art Museum, The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum and Falcon Theater (Newport, KY).
MICHAEL D. HALL
Actor, director, playwright and producer Michael D. Hall is a local favorite of the stage and screen. Mike's recent theatrical credits include Williamson in GLENGARY GLEN ROSS at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre and Hannibal in SILENCE! THE MUSICAL at Falcon Theatre, as well as appearances at Know Theatre Cincinnati, New Edgecliff Theatre, the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts and the Showboat Majestic, among others. With HWT, Mike produced and directed the regional premiere of A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL, and wrote and starred in the one-man show ZOMBIELOGUE in the 2015 Cincinnati Fringe Festival.
JOSHUA STEELE
An award-winning producer and performer, Joshua manages historic Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine, presenting and hosting more than 200 events annually. He previously served as Managing Director of Theatre at The Carnegie, and President of the League of Cincinnati Theatres. He has been a featured performer with the Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Landmark Productions, and Commonwealth Theatre Company, among others. Joshua is a voice instructor for the NKU School of the Arts.